O’Sullivan has won six of the last eight matches between the two men, including a 4-1 victory in round two of last year’s English Open, although Davis pulled off a superb comeback win at the 2017 Welsh Open.

Davis has been in fine form so far this week, winning five matches so far and not requiring a deciding frame in any of them.

The world number 45 outgunned 13th-ranked Ryan Day 5-1 in the quarter-finals yesterday aided by breaks of 66, 95 and 92.

Davis won two matches on Thursday, coming from 2-0 down to defeat Chinese player Mei Xi Wen 4-2 in round three with breaks of 62 and 68 before recovering from 2-1 behind to beat five-time world champion John Higgins 4-2 in the last 16.

He previously whitewashed Polish potter Adam Stefanow 4-0 in round two on Wednesday helped by runs of 97 and 107 having seen off Robbie Williams 4-1 in round one on Monday aided by breaks of 104, 70 and a magnificent 136.

O’Sullivan - the world number three and a five-time world champion - dropped just three frames in the first four rounds, but had to come from 3-2 down to defeat Chinese teenager Luo Honghao 5-3 in the quarter-finals last night.